Automatic sprinkler

An automatic sprinkler including an outlet for fire extinguishing fluid, closure means for normally closing said outlet and being movable to an open position, force applying means spaced from said closure means, force transmitting means interposed between said closure means and said force applying means for releasably holding said closure means in a position closing said outlet, said force transmitting means including frangible means for collapsing said force transmitting means to move said closure means to said open position when said frangible means breaks, and said frangible means carrying substantially less than one-half of the force carried by said force transmitting means for normally holding said closure in a position closing said outlet.

An automatic sprinkler including a water outlet, closure means having a closed position for normally closing said outlet and an open position for providing flow of fire extinguishing fluid through said outlet, force applying means generally axially-spaced from said outlet and closure means, force transmitting means interposed between said closure means and said force applying means for normally holding said closure means in said closed position and being collapsible for moving said closure means to said open position, said force transmitting means including frangible means and strut means, force dividing means interposed between said force applying means and said force transmitting means for dividing the force transmitted through said force transmitting means from said force applying means to said closure means such that substantially less than one-half of the transmitted force is transmitted through said frangible means.

An automatic sprinkler including a yoke frame having a longitudinal axis and a pair of legs lying in a common plane, force transmitting means within the space between said legs for releasably holding an outlet closure in a closed position, said force transmitting means including an elongated glass bulb inclined at a substantial angle to said axis, whereby said glass bulb has maximum exposure to air currents moving in all directions relative to said axis, including both parallel and perpendicular thereto.

A force transmitting mechanism for an automatic sprinkler comprising a lever, strut and glass bulb, said strut and bulb having force input and output end portions, said lever being positioned in cooperative relationship with said force input end portions for dividing an input force such that substantially less than one-half of such force is transmitted through said bulb and the remainder of such force is transmitted through said strut means.

An automatic sprinkler having a longitudinal axis, force applying means and an outlet closure spaced-apart along said axis, a lever having a pivot axis spaced outwardly from said longitudinal axis and engaging said outlet closure at an engagement area intermediate said pivot axis and said longitudinal axis, and a frangible bulb positioned between said lever and said force applying means and engaging said lever at a location substantially closer to said longitudinal axis than said engagement area.